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25 new of 331 responses total.
nharmon
response 56 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:00 UTC 2006

Richard says it is easy to be pro-life when you don't have to deal with
the consequences of that position. I might also add that it is equally
as easy to be pro-choice. This is why a lot of people have to dehumanize
pre-born infants otherwise morality and your conscience stop jiving with
your politics.

IMHO, Intact D&X is murder. Taking plan B is not.
richard
response 57 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:08 UTC 2006

Of course its easy to be pro-choice because with that position, you 
aren't required to pass and enforce laws to prevent something from 
happening.  And you aren't required to raise taxes to build more jails 
to house all those women and doctors you plan to arrest.  

Also there is no such thing as a "pre-born infant", that is more bull 
from the pro-life side.  An infant is a human being who has been born, 
by definition, you can't be "pre-born"

kingjon
response 58 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:15 UTC 2006

And the idea that an infant is only a human being that has been born is a
falsehood put about by the pro-choice side. :)

(By that definition, *I* -- along with every living human being over the age of
0 -- am an infant. I protest! :})
slynne
response 59 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:26 UTC 2006

Just out of curiosity, nharmon, do you know the circumstances where a
D&X is likely to be performed? 

I think that it is a procedure used most often in cases where the fetus
has a disease called hydrocephalus. It is a condition where fluid builds
in the brain, causing the head to enlarge. The fetus is alive but will
not live for more than a few hours at most after birth. The head of the
fetus in this case is enlarged to the point where a vaginal birth is not
possible. The options are essentially, a C-Section which is VERY
invasive and which has a lot of risks or a D&X where the baby is
delivered vaginally by collapsing the head (and killing the fetus). This
procedure is much much better for the health of the mother than a
C-section. The outcome is essentially the same except in the latter
case, the fetus dies a couple of hours sooner. 

It isnt like women are sitting around with healthy pregnancies going
"Shoot, I've been pregnant for eight and a half months, I cant take it
anymore, GIVE me a D and X!"

Ok, ok, at least one of my friends has said that but it was a hot summer
and I am sure everyone will be happy to know that she gave birth to a
healthy girl three weeks later
slynne
response 60 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:38 UTC 2006

Hmmm. I did some digging and I was eventually able to find the website
of an abortion clinic that will do elective third trimester abortions.
However, I would be very surprised if they have a big demand for their
services. 

I would support laws that prohibited third trimester abortions unless
the health of the mother were at stake except that I think those might
delay appropriate medical action in some cases if the parties were
worried about which side of the law a particular procedure might fall. 
richard
response 61 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:39 UTC 2006

kingjon said:

"And the idea that an infant is only a human being that has been born 
is a falsehood put about by the pro-choice side."

It is not a falsehood.  An infant is by definition one who is 
in "infancy", as in one who's life has just started.  A fetus is not an 
infant, because when a fetus is in the woman's womb, it is not part of 
its own life, it is part of its mother's life.  The mother is not an 
infant and the fetus is part of the mother's body.  When a human being 
breathes on its own, that is when its life starts, and when it starts 
the "infancy" or beginning of its own life.  A fetus CANNOT be an 
infant in the womb because it has not begun its infancy.  
slynne
response 62 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:42 UTC 2006

I agree that a fetus is not an infant. But I think it is a bit of a
stretch to say that a viable fetus isnt alive. 
kingjon
response 63 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:43 UTC 2006

That is what is called "petitio principii", or "begging the question." You
define life (or infancy) as beginning at the first breath, and then say that by
definition a fetus cannot be a living human being (or an infant). I can use my
own definition and say that "by definition" anything at all, but I'm choosing
not to.

kingjon
response 64 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:44 UTC 2006

#62 slipped.

keesan
response 65 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:52 UTC 2006

Infant has several definitions, the most common one being early childhood,
not yet capable of speech, coming from the French meaning incapable of speech.
Child - an unborn or recently born person.  So a child can be unborn but I
have never heard of infant being used that way.  Child is related to a Gothic
word for womb.  Life does not start at conception because the egg and sperm
are already alive.  A fertilized egg can become two embryos up to about 2
weeks.  Towards the end of the 2 weeks it is more likely to become conjoined
twins.  90% of pairs of identical twins do not get born - one or both die in
the womb due to competition.  Is a fertilized egg that splits into two embryos
one or two independent lives, before it splits?
nharmon
response 66 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:55 UTC 2006

Re 59: I am aware of the technical procedure of a D&X as well as a D&E,
but have not found a lot of information on the statistics regarding the
situations where those procedures are undertaken. I don't disagree with
you that if the mother's health is at risk and the child won't live
anyway, an abortion might be the best decision. Just please do me one
favor...in ending the life of a late-term fetus (thank you Richard, i'll
stop calling it an infant) please at least give it the same
consideration you would a livestock animal being butchered. As these
procedures are practiced currently, they are barbaric and inhumane. 
keesan
response 67 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 02:57 UTC 2006

Let's ban butchering of livestock, which is inhumane and unnecessary, and
kills life.
nharmon
response 68 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 03:02 UTC 2006

There are a lot of different opinions on when life actually begins. Here
is a good article that I found which explains them:
http://www.devbio.com/article.php?id=162

The Neurological view, which states "the beginning of human life should
be recognized as the time when a fetus acquires a recognizable EEG
pattern", makes the most sense to me.
scholar
response 69 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 03:18 UTC 2006

We must go with the MORAL view, which states that a parent may, without
reprecussion, kill their child up to a month after they are born.
rcurl
response 70 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 03:23 UTC 2006

I have no problem with considering human life *continuous* before and through
the reproductive process. But that is irrelevant to the question. The question
is when does the woman have authority over her own body and its functions,
and when does she lose that authority. All this quibbling over "when human
life begins" is beside the point and biological nonsense. 

I support the Supreme Court's division of the question into the three
trimesters and right of the woman to not have her health jeopardized.
marcvh
response 71 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 03:29 UTC 2006

I agree.  Questions of "when does life begin?" or "when does an embryo
become human?" are red herrings which are not particularly relevant to the
legal questions; people like to bring them up as a distraction so they
can debate how many zygotes can dance on the head of a pin.
nharmon
response 72 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 04:00 UTC 2006

Do you consider it wrong for a parent to neglect a child?
marcvh
response 73 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 04:23 UTC 2006

Depends who gets to define "wrong", "neglect" and "child."
nharmon
response 74 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 04:27 UTC 2006

My point is that defining the point at which life reaches personhood is
important for defining the responsibilities that people have as a result
of their own choices.
cyklone
response 75 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 04:28 UTC 2006

FWIW, the Constitution confers citizenship ONLY on those who were BORN or
naturalized. Obviously, the law also protects non-citizens against things like
murder. Still, it's a point worth considering, especially for "originalists."
crimson
response 76 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 04:29 UTC 2006

#70: "The question is when does the woman have authority over her own body
and its functions, and when does she lose that authority." It seems to me
that the question is really whether a pregnancy *is* "her body and its
functions" more than incidentally, or rather the body and functions of
someone else.
marcvh
response 77 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 04:37 UTC 2006

Re #74: I'm only talking about the legal issues, not vague issues like
what is "wrong" and what "responsibilities" exist.  Lots of pro-choice
people personally believe that abortion is "wrong" or "irresponsible"
but never the less believe that making it illegal (or "legal but
unavailable") would not be a good idea.
slynne
response 78 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 05:25 UTC 2006

resp:70 A pregnancy might not BE a woman's body but it certainly
involves it considerably. I have an idea. Let's pass a law that makes it
legal for a fetus to jump down the birth canal and stop mooching anytime
they would like (within reason of course, I know some people who would
stay in until they were 35)
bru
response 79 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 12:54 UTC 2006

apparently there is a bible verse which states that life is in the blood. 
Thus a feotus is considered alive by soe as soon as it begins to make its own
blood, around 10 days.
johnnie
response 80 of 331: Mark Unseen   Feb 26 15:59 UTC 2006

That would be Genesis 9:4, which actually says nothing of the sort.
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